The present invention relates to a photographic camera, particularly--but not exclusively--to a still camera.
More particularly, the invention relates to a photographic camera having a handgrip connected with the housing of the camera, preferably in releasable (i.e. detachable) relationship.
Cameras with detachable handgrips are already known in the art. The purpose of these handgrips is to facilitate the operation of the camera by making the handgrip turnable about an axis which extends transverse (usually normal) to the optical axis of the camera lens. This makes it possible for the camera to be more conveniently operated while being held in either the left hand or the right hand of a user, and also has other advantages in terms of camera operation. In order to permit one-hand operation, i.e. to free the second hand of the user completely for various settings to be performed on the camera, such as the distance setting and the exposure parameters, it is advantageous if the handle is provided with a manually operable trigger which controls the shutter release of the camera, so that one hand not only holds the camera via the handle but also operates the camera mechanism.
In a known camera of this type the handgrip is mounted laterally on the camera housing and provided with a substantially axially extending bore through which a Bowden-type wire release (commercially available) can be pulled so that the pushbutton of the release projects beyond the free end of the handgrip and can be depressed by the thumb or index finger of the user. The cable part of the wire release projects from the handgrip and its free end carries a threaded nipple which must be screwed into the wire-release connector of the camera. This arrangement has the advantage that it permits the handgrip and camera to be freely turned with reference to one another to different positions, and nevertheless assures that irrespective of the particular position the camera can always be operated by use of the wire release. However, it is a pronounced disadvantage that the installation and removal of the handgrip are very time consuming. It is first necessary, when installing the handgrip, to insert the wire release into the grip, thereupon to connect the grip with the camera housing, and finally to screw the nipple of the wire release into the appropriate connector of the housing. Also, the cable of the wire release hangs freely between the handgrip and the camera and a user may become entangled in it.